Method of decorating composition materials



Jan. 5, 1937. K. ElcHsTDT I 2,056,34T

METHOD OF DECORATING COMPOSITION MATERIAL Filed April l, 1935 mm Nlxxmmm FM z INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 5, 1937 METHOD or DECORATING COMPOSITION MATERIALS Karl Eichstdt, Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany, assignor to Oxford Varnish Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 1,1935, sei-iai No.l1`4,os1

Germany April 28, 1934 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a decorated surface and method of producing the same. More especially, the invention is concerned with an improved method of decorating the surfaces of fiber,

5 composition boards or other artificial wood by the use of Ordinary printing processes. This, therefore, is the general object of the present invention.

Considerable diiculty has been encountered lo in the past when attempts have been made to decorate composition, ber or other artificial boards. whereas natural wood boards have been successfully decorated. Natural woods of the inexpensive types have been decorated by a printi5 ing process to simulate the more expensive types of woods. Generally, a printing member has been made from the more expensive wood by the usual photo mechanical reproduction process and the pattern transferred in color yto the article to,

be decorated by any well-known printing process. For this purpose offset printing methods have been used with success. f

However successful such printing methods have been on natural woods, when attempts were made on artificial woods, such as ber or other composition boards, such attempts produced comparatively poor results. It has been thought that this was due to the lack of surface adhesion between the nber and the color, especially as nitroao cellulose and oil paints are generally used in such printing. Hence. as in the decorating of metallic panels, ground or filler coats have been iirst laid on the ber or composition board and there- I after the board has been decorated, but even then as the quality of the reproduction has been poor, as

. tonal values were lost and the surface remained sticky.

I have found that while ber. or composition boards lack suiiicient adhesive qualities to per- 4o mit the color or priming coat 'to adhere thereto,

this is due to a great extent to the binding material used in the manufacture of the composition board, and this could not be cured by simply coveringv the board with a primer coat. When 45 eithei` the primer coat, which is a heavy coating,

, or the decorative coat is appliedto most types of composition boards, the treated surface remains sticky and the true colors of such coat or coatsl are distorted or changed to'such an extent that 50 composition boards could not be generally used,

as in most instances the reproduction was not sufficiently faithful to the original to meet commercial demands.

The distortion of the colors and the tonal qual- 65 ities of the reproduction, I have found, is due to the exudations or sweating of the binding materials used in the manufacture of the composition board. These binding, materials generally contain substances such as bitumen, asphaltum or artificial resins. I have found that the min- 6 eral oils and waxes contained in such products are released from time to time and while the amount released is small, it nevertheless is suiilcient to prevent the priming coats and/or deco'- rative coats from 'completely drying. Even when 10 the Outer surface of such coats appear to be dry, they are not completely dry, as the exudation or sweating of binding materials prevents complete drying of the surface of such coats which is in contact with the composition board, and even 15 when the'surface of the decorated composition board apparently dries, it subsequently becomes sticky, due to the action and reactions of these exudations on the coatings.

Likewise I have found that' the exudation of 20 the binding materials used in the manufacture of the composition board so attacks the color of the priming and/or decorating coats that tonal values are lost and the colors are changed. Likewise I have found that even when colors are controlled 25 so as to provide for this change, nevertheless they eventually change due to the continued exudation of the binding materials, the amount of which varies, due to climatic conditions. as well as due to conditions under which the composition board was manufactured.

An object oi' the present invention is to provide a method oi.'v decorating composition boards in such -a manner as will increase the adhesive properties of the composition board and at the same time prevent the exudation oi' the binding materials used in the manufacture of such boards from affecting the priming or color coat, and to produce a decorated composition article which will not deteriorate inl timedue to the exudation V of the binding material used in the manufacture of the composition.

Other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which diagrammatically illustrates the inventior 'Ihe novel characteristics of the invention will be summarized in the claim.

In ti. drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sec- 5o tional vlew of a fiber or composition board; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the first step in my improved method; Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate diagrammatically subsequent steps in the decoration of the composition board; Fig. 5 is a 65 diagrammatic section illustrating the completed article.

The present invention contemplates the treating of thelber or composition board, prior to the application -of the priming and/or design coats, in such a manner as will prevent the exudation or sweating of the binding material used in the manufacture of the composition board from affecting either the drying of the subsequent coats, the colors or tones of the priming and/or design coats and at the same time increase the adhesive properties of the surface of such board for the priming or design coats. I prefer to accomplish this result by providing the composition board with an intermediate or locking layer or coating which will neutralize the exudations of the binding materials and which will not affect the tonal qualities or color of the priming or design coats.

I prefer to prepare the composition board by smoothing its surface in the usual manner by sanding or the like. A thin intermediate or locking coating is then applied by spraying, dipping or painting. Such layer is permitted to dry and the priming and/or design coatings are applied in the usual manner.

, I have found that a watery varnish, such as a casein or watery shellac solution` is well suited for use as a locking coat and, dependent upon the binding material used in the manufacture of the composition board, soda or ammonia is added to neutralize the exudations of such binding material. As an example of a suitable mixture.

the following is given:

' Parts Casein 8 Sheilac 8 Boda 8 Water 78 when the above coating is used and snowed to dry on vthe composition board, it neutralizes 'the exudations of the binding material and protects of the nmshed articie.

rated surface.

the priming and/or design coatings, permitting them to thoroughly dry and preventing any reactions on such coatings by the binding material. thereby creating permanency of color and tone Referring again to the drawing, I have indicated in Fig. 1 a fiber or composition board I0. The board has been previously prepared by a suitable smoothing operation to provide it with a smooth surface Il. The board is first coated with a thin layer of the locking solution above described, such solution, upon drying, forming a thin, transparent intermediate layer or locking coat I2. A priming coat Il is next applied and subsequently the design coating`ll, followed by a lacquer or varnish wearing coat It. The locking coat i2 acts both to overcome the detrimental actions of the binding material of the composition board, on the color or priming coats, and to provide a surface having a greater adhesive property for the priming and/or color` coats than the composition board itself.

While' I have explained the invention as utilizing a priming coat, this is not essential, as in many instances the color of the composition board itself forms a desirable background for the design. In such instances, the design coat Ii is applied directly to the locking coat l2.

I claim:

The method of decorating a composition board having a fibrous material retained in a mass formation by an asphaltic binding material, comprising neutralizing the exudations of such binding material by coating the surface of such material with a solution comprising substantially equal parts of casein,

substantially nine and three-fourths puts oi water, drying such coating. applying a design in surface, and subsequently lacquer to the deco-l color to the coated applying a wearing coat of naar. mcns'rlinfr.

shelllc and soda mixed'ilf- 

